Let Battle Commence!

The meeting of the SSP Executive Committee has been and gone, and they've taken the decision to back the SSP members who testified against Tommy Sheridan. This isn't all that surprising, as most of the witnesses were on the EC (and, indeed, most of the EC members were witnesses).

The committee claim that the prosecution witnesses were "dragged before the court", "defended the honesty and integrity of the Party" and that they should be "commended and supported rather than vilified".

Colin Fox, for his part claims that he wants a challenge so that he, and the other candidates (i.e. Sheridan), can be judged on their records. Well, let's look at that record: Tommy Sheridan, who was the SSP's first MSP, who led the Party in the 2003 Election which saw 6 MSPs returned, and who took on and defeated News Group Newspapers, versus Colin Fox, who shed half of the SSP's vote in the last Westminster election, who has presided over vicious in-fighting, and who has chosen to back those SSP members who are still attacking Sheridan, despite the fact that a court of law has cleared his name!

Fox has made a mistake by citing records: even on that score, he looks like he's going to get steam-rollered by Sheridan. Indeed, the whole Executive Committee has slipped up: it's almost as if they want to be voted out at Party Conference.

I fancy a bet that the "United Left" (the name of Carolyn Leckie's faction within the SSP) Party will be fielding candidates next May, separately of the SSP.